I absolutely loved this historical romance! the main characters had great chemistry, and the secondary characters added some great texture to the plot. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book two in the Glided Age series. This book deals with Theo and Daisy. Their parents are forcing them to get married and they decide to fake an engagement. I did enjoy the story a great deal and the romance was well done too. I will definitely be looking for more in this series.

I was first drawn to Some Like It Scandalous because of that pretty blue dress on the cover! It immediately grabbed my attention and then the Some Like It Scandalous title made me think of Some Like It Hot and since I happen to love that song, I decided right then and there to read it. I didn’t know what to expect because I don’t think I even looked at the synopsis and it was also going to be my first Maya Rodale novel. While choosing a book for the cover and title can be somewhat risky, that was not the case with Some Like It Scandalous. I loved it from the very beginning and continued loving it the whole way through — it was fantastic!

I loved how strong and independent Daisy was, the support she had from her friends, and especially her relationship to Theo. It was cute, endearing, and fun, but I have to say that Theo was the main star of the show for me. I didn’t think that would be the case when I first started reading Some Like It Scandalous, actually I thought of Theo a little in the same vein as Daisy was, but then Theo went ahead and made it impossible not to love him. He was just the sweetest, most thoughtful man ever and all he wants is to be loved and please his love and oh, I fell so hard for him! So hard! Theo was beyond wonderful and he completely owns my heart!

Really, though, there was much to love about Some Like It Scandalous from the history and the scheming to the characters and of course, the romance. I learned new facts, ran into some old ones and was just fascinated and dazzled by it all. There were several different elements to this book, but they all connected and it was such a kick to be in this world. Some Like It Scandalous was a marvelous introduction to Maya Rodale and I can’t wait to read more!

Theodore Prescott the Third, one of Manhattan’s Rogues of Millionaire Row, has really done it this time. The only way to survive his most recent, unspeakably outrageous scandal is marry someone respectable. Someone sensible. Someone like Daisy Swann. Of all the girls in Gilded Age Manhattan, it had to be her. Daisy Swann has plans and they do not involve a loveless marriage with anyone. But when a devastating family secret threatens to destroy her standing in society, suddenly a fake engagement with Theo is just the thing to make all her dreams come true. Daisy Swann aspires to sell cosmetics that she has created, but this brainy scientist needs a smooth talking charmer’s flair for words and eye for beauty to make it a success. Before long, Daisy and Theo are trading kisses. And secrets. And discovering that despite appearances, they might be the perfect couple after all.
This was a decent enough read. I really liked Daisy and her determination but I didn’t like Theo. The concept of a childhood bully becoming someone you fall in love with just didn’t really sit well with me.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. some like it scandalous is the latest book in the gilded age series and like Anabelle's story this one does not disapppint. daisy has decided that she wants to be a spinster and create her own business of making and selling face cream. cosmetics of course are not accepted at this time. meanwhile Daisy's mother has arranged for her to marry the before a scandal about her father becomes public. Theo's father has also agreed because of a scandal theo was involved in. I have not read many books set in this time period even though I love a historical romance novel. but I love the strong independent women who are changing the world in their own way whether it is dresses with pockets or comestics. theo's growth as a person is believable and the relationship between theo and daisy is really well written.

If you guys love Gilded Age Historical and Joanna Shupe, you will love this second book of Maya Rodale Series - Gilded Age Girl Club. The two main character are Daisy and Theo. They have fake engagement to get them out of the London Season and things get messy. It is a great book. If you like fake engagement and close proximity romance.

This novel was thoroughly entertaining...this is a smart and sophisticated series. I really liked the characters of Daisy and Theo and how they worked together and came to love each other. It was also interesting to read about women’s rights during this era.
Many thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really liked the feminist makeup angle to the book. The male main character wasn't my cup of tea, but pleasant enough. I'd probably like a series with just all the female friends getting into trouble around Manhattan.

This is a great example of historical romance done with a modern voice.

Daisy is known as the ugly duckling of the New York debutantes thanks to being given that charming nickname when she was only 13 by golden-boy Theo Prescott III. At 25 she is hoping that the marriage mart will pass right by her and she'll be allowed to pursue her interests in science. However, her mother has different ideas and without her permission arranges a marriage for her to Theo Prescott III, of all people. Thankfully, Theo is also uninterested in marrying Daisy so the two agree to conspire against their parents' forced marriage plot. As you can imagine, as soon as they start to be on the same team in the plan not to get married, they find that they actually like each other (rather a lot). They especially like kissing each other and suddenly they aren't sure why they were so opposed to marriage.

The Gilded Age is one of my absolute favorite settings for historical romance. Rodale did a great job of telling some of the stories that get left out of the history books, namely the stories of women who were fighting for a voice, for worker's rights, for the chance to have careers and dreams of their own. We get to experience all of this through the scandalous experiences of Daisy.

Loved it! This is the second book in the Gilded Age Girls Club series, but can be read as a stand alone. This book has so much to enjoy: a secret women’s society, a heroine set out to forge her own path, and a male lead willing to conspire with her. I also appreciated the author’s note at the end, which was an inspiring history lesson! I highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my review.

Enjoyed this story of a not pretty young lady, and a pretty, popular bachelor, betrothed by their parents. They have a history, he nicknamed her ugly duckling at 13, she has lived with the nickname since, and has resented it since. Attending college in Manhattan, she has moved on, planning her future as a spinster, thank you very much.
He has lived a wild, man about town with too much money and too little sense lifestyle. His father wishes him to settle down, take up the family business and marry Miss Daisy Swan, ugly duck Daisy. Despising one another, they devise a scheme to pretend to be engaged, planning to end the engagement prior to the wedding. Thrown together, they begin to talk to each, begin to understand each other, and eventually to care about each other’s dreams. This is a delightful story, the characters are great, the romance is passionate, the story entertaining. It was also fascinating to see how the times effected their lives and relationship. As I’ve noticed in Rodales works before, sometimes she uses wording that is inappropriate to the time. The word lipstick was used repeatedly about what amounted to pots of lip paint, but I can handle it.
Overall an enjoyable read. I received a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

OMG, this series!

Some Like It Scandalous is all that is awesome about a enemies-to-lovers story. I loved how both Theo and Daisy were trapped by society's expectations--she was more than aware of it and had a plan for getting the life she wanted; he was just starting to realize that he wasn't actually living his best life and there might be something else out there to give him purpose--and watching the two of them figure things out together (while growing closer and closer!) was just wonderful. Ms. Rodale did an outstanding job of showing us how their relationship progressed--slow and steady, not a whiff of insta-anything here (their first kiss wasn't even that great--who does that? I loved it!) which made everything feel that much more wonderful and believable.

Some Like It Scandalous is the second in the series, and Adeline (heroine of book one) and the Ladies of Liberty Club (the group the series revolves around) play very real roles here, but it's not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one. (It's *almost* as wonderful as this one, though--do yourself a favor and read them both! :) )

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Some Like It Scandalous is the second book in The Gilded Age Girls Club series. I had not read the first book but I was able to jump right into this. The book has an interesting plot, a bully and a wallflower are forced to marry by their parents. I liked the writing but I had a hard time connecting to the male character. I found him to be very shallow.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This book left me feeling underwhelmed.

I liked that the author planned a series about lady bosses. I liked the gilded age New York setting. I liked Daisy and Theo, their enemies to lovers story had so much potential, but for me it fell a bit flat. I’m not sure what it was missing, maybe not enough of the couple on the page compared to Daisy’s cosmetics business. It was a decent book, but I wasn’t satisfied with the romance.

Maya Rodale outdid herself with this novel of a woman succeeding in business and finding love along the way. How exciting she makes chemistry and the sciences seem! How motivating she makes doing business together experiencing romance with a soupçon of lust along the way! And all the time we have a couple that believes they are the wrong fit for a future together until they each realize they are the rightest fit of all. There is a depth of romance in a duo brave enough to speak honestly. Scandal sometimes reveals a depth of character wholly admirable.

New York City 1883 In her youth Daisy Swan was looked down upon by her peers and fellow children of some of the elite of Manhattan because she was not pretty. Unfortunately she was teased and when an incident occurred with her landing in a duck pond due to Theodore Prescott, she knew at that moment she would hate him forever!!
Fast forward 12 years and at twenty five Daisy felt she was still not pretty as her mother and sisters. I felt so bad for Daisy because a lot of us have felt this way, but I have to give her credit. She was smart, determined, and about to finish college and would be free and independent. Plus with her studies in chemistry she had ideas about creating and selling cosmetics to women to make them look and feel beautiful!
Unfortunately her plans seemed about to be crushed when her mother brings up Theodore Prescott, yes the hated Prescott and demands she marry him. What? It seems her father is about to bring scandal down on them and Daisy needs to be married and protected. Really? No. She leaves and goes to the park.
Meanwhile Theo's father is telling him that he has done his last scandalous incident and he demands he marry Daisy or he will cut him off. He says NO and runs off to the park!
The adventure begins. The two meet up and begin talking about what they will do and come up with a plan.
A pretend engagement. Yes, that will work. But what is does is open up both of their lives as they help each other!
A delightful story that had me unable to stop reading until I turned the last page. I laughed out loud, sighed and as they bantered back and forth I could only smile. They deserved a happy ever and were meant for each other. Who would have thought it years ago? Really enjoyed.

Like her mother and sister Daisy Swan has never been considered pretty. She doesn’t want a loveless marriage, she plans on using her brain as she aspires to sell cosmetics that she has created with her studies science. Her father has other plans he wants her married with a family. Theodore Prescott the Third, one of Manhattan’s Rogues of Millionaire Row his father is threatening to cut his funds off if he doesn’t marry Daisy Swan. The two conspire to a fake engagement until the can trick their fathers and come up with a reliable reason to break the engement, but if they give their selves half a chance they might just discovery they are perfect for each other. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Mr. Prescott wants to see his son married in the hopes it'll force him to cease his rakish ways and join the family business, and Mrs. Swan wants her daughter to be safely settled before a scandal breaks and ruins the family. Together, they conspire to force their children, Theo and Daisy, into a match. The first problem? Their kids want nothing to do with each other. Fortunately, Daisy has a plan. If she can get her cosmetics business off the ground, she's certain she can earn enough money to support herself and thus render their parents' blackmail techniques useless. The second problem? Cosmetics are a thoroughly taboo product in Gilded Age New York.


This book made me, a woman who almost never wears makeup, run off and immediately put on my darkest lipstick after I finished reading. I loved it. Theo and Daisy, while more antagonist- than enemies-to-lovers, had some excellent banter throughout the book and even better chemistry. They both had great internal struggles they were working through: Theo with his daddy issues and Daisy with self-image. There was tons of commentary from and around Daisy about confidence and appearance, and I really appreciated how nuanced it was. Daisy is very aware of her less-than-beautiful appearance, and while she has gained an admirable level of assurance separate from her looks, it still affects her. Because of course it does. I really like when it's acknowledged that it's impossible to not be affected by society's standards, even when they're bullshit standards, and Daisy is not demeaned for it by the narrative.


The author's note at the end (besides recommending great further reading) mentioned the somewhat fraught nature of the topic. Especially in relation to our current society. Daisy's time period saw her trying to argue that cosmetics are okay to wear, whereas our time period makes it more taboo not to wear at least a little make up. And in both time periods, there are similar arguments both for and against cosmetics which are completely valid. The author's note says she decided to write the debate rather than come down on a particular side or not, and I think...well, Daisy comes down on one side and it's hard to not see the book as standing with her. But I think the author did do a good job on her goal of showing both sides without judgement, mostly by using a progressive women's group that Daisy is part of to voice various stances. The first book in this series had similar points to make with fashion, and I really love that deep points are being made using 'girly' subjects and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

To be posted 7/1

New York City - 1883

Miss Daisy Swan, age 13, is not a pretty young girl and the other children of Manhattan’s finest families tease her constantly. It doesn’t bother her because she’s busy reading books on chemistry which fascinates her. After being teased and humiliated by Theodore Prescott, the third, Daisy swears that she will hate him forever and will remain a spinster.

New York City - 1895

Now Daisy is 25 and still not considered to be pretty. Her sisters, Rose, Camilla, and Lily are all lovely young women and married. Daisy is soon to graduate from Barnard College and then, with her knowledge of chemistry, hopes to create and sell beauty products for women. However, her mother wants her to marry. When Daisy reminds her mother that she had been promised to be able to remain a spinster and have her own business, her mother confesses that her father has made some bad business decisions recently and now they need money. She tells her that she must get married and she will marry Theo. What? Not Theo!!

Theodore Prescott, the second, is a hard working man who has earned millions of dollars. His son, Theodore (Theo) Prescott, the third, on the other hand, spends his time entertaining himself. Theo has no interest in the making of steel. Rather, he just enjoys women. However, the recent scandal in which he was involved has convinced his father that he is to get married and he will marry Daisy or he will be cut off. What? Not Daisy!!

Daisy and Theo meet up to discuss their predicament. As they chat, Theo learns that Daisy has created a face cream that has left her own complexion lovely and dewy. With his help, they name the face cream and open a store to sell it. This togetherness sparks a friendship of sorts that leads to an attraction. Will it be enough for them to actually go through with the wedding the Daisy’s mother is planning?

This is a lovely enemies to lovers novel with some strong characters and lots of humor. I was impressed with Daisy and Theo’s ingenuity in setting up and selling her face cream. I enjoyed the story and I think other readers will as well.

Copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I seem to have been reading a lot of women in STEM historicals lately... I like it!

Daisy isn't like her beautiful mother and sisters, or like the other children. In fact, they call her "Ugly Duck Daisy." Her eyes a little too close set and her slightly too large nose always stuck in a science book, Daisy never really fit in - and the beautiful Theodore Prescott the Third was a part of the problem. Now her mother and his father have schemed to force them into an arranged marriage, even though Daisy is so close to being firmly on the shelf - something she's long dreamed about! Daisy is such an odd duck (sorry for the duck reference Daisy!) and I adore her.

I didn't care for Theo at the start of the book and figured he's another rakish ne'er-do-well hero who has daddy issues, but really he has a heart of gold. Usually when you see this type of hero in a romance novel, they're mostly misunderstood. And while yes, there is an element of that (especially with the big Scandal causing Theo's latest disgrace), Maya Rodale really leaned into him just really needing to grow the heck up. I really appreciate the personal journey Theo goes through in this book especially, looking at his life and whether it's what he really wants and finding something that excites him and makes him feel passionate.

I also really love that Daisy doesn't have some make-over montage and suddenly she's conventionally pretty and everyone likes her. Too many "ugly duckling" stories have the love interest not realizing the ugly duckling is truly beautiful until they change things about themself or until the rest of society sees it. And Theo has a similar issue in that his looks are sort of working against him with Daisy. They both have to get past what's on the surface and get to know who the other person truly is, and when you get to know how beautiful a person is on the inside it's amazing how that person's outside becomes beautiful in your eyes.

This is the second book in The Gilded Age Girls Club series, but it can be read as a stand alone. I haven't read the first book in the series, Duchess by Design, but the heroine makes some appearances in this book as a side character, along with what I assume are repeat appearances by many of Daisy's other friends/inner circle. From what I could tell, there didn't seem to be any major spoilers for the first book in this one.